Risky Business

Many of you have suspected that I'm insane for awhile now.  And that my husband is a good match for the insanity.

After all, why else would we do the things we do and then laugh about them?!

Well, in the wake of my overwhelming frustration with the housework of my life I've decided to drink even more crazy juice and do something I never, ever thought I would do!

Cloth diapers.

Until recently my mental image of those who used cloth diapers involved people who either: A) wore buns, denim skirts and a face that looked like they were weaned on a pickle or B) meditated with hemp and sage grass across their eyes and crystals up their noses intoning, "Mother Earth, Goddess of Green, fill me with your natural instincts!" while listening to kum-bay-yah.

But then I had a couple of friends who I think are very normal admit that they use cloth diapers.

My world tilted.  I asked why on EARTH would they DO THAT TO THEMSELVES???

They said they liked it.  Independently two normal, functioning, cool women in my life who don't really like poop much themselves said that they found cloth diapers to be easy and not at all as bad as people make them out to be.

Huh.

I had already heard about the whole "saving the Earth" philosophy and I like that concept very much but honestly, unless saving the Earth also coincides with my convenience, it's not normally a motivating factor for me.  (Just keepin' it real.)

I learned that the kiddos potty train earlier if they're cloth diapered.  And that the leaks are minimal or non-existent.  And there are no longer pins to fight.

I hadn't heard about the cost difference of cloth versus disposable until I researched it thoroughly.  If I am able to do this and keep at it until Mikayla is potty trained we will literally save thousands of dollars.

That's thousands…of…dollars.

I like thousands of dollars.  I like those dollars best when they stay in my pocket!  I like not throwing thousands of dollars in the trash over the next few years.

This newfound knowledge kicked off a several-day obsession of researching cloth diapers, a facebook conversation thread that hit some hot buttons in many respondents, and a search on eBay and craigslist to see what bargains could be found.

And tonight I bought all the diapers I will need for this little experiment for $40 from a person off of Craigs list!  I figure for $40 I can give it a good go and see what all the fuss is about.  

(I know that the idea of getting used diapers from a stranger is grossing you out, and I totally understand that.  But look at it this way – the moment Mikayla uses a new diaper it will be in the same used condition.  I'm already dealing with poop.  From the kid and from the not-yet-housebroken puppy.  Also, I have a mother who taught me the cleaning secrets of the jedi masters and if all else fails I also own a 1970s orange-covered copy of Hints from Heloise.  Given my determination to sanitize things and track record of successfully removing stains I think that I can make this work!  ((I think I can, I think I can, I think I can…)) Buying new is a minimum of $200 investment.  I just spent $40.  My initial cost is now low and that therefore gives me the liberty to try something I think might work for about the same price as a date night.)

(Dollars.  Thousands of Dollars.  Saved Dollars.  I like Dollars.)

So, given all of this, I thought I would share that I'm going all earthy and risky with the baby's bottom.  I'll keep you posted.

In the meantime I'm going to try to pin up my bun and get the crystals out of my nose.